The Relationship of Undergraduate Major and Housing with Depression in Undergraduate Students

Past literature has shown that college undergraduates are particularly vulnerable to depression. The objective of this study is to find if certain majors and housing arrangements are associated with major depression as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), after adjustment for age, gender, and family history of depression.

Participants were undergraduates at a large public university that used the university health center from April 1 - November 4, 2013. Participants completed a survey which included the PHQ-2, a validated screening test for depression. Those who scored positive were asked to take the longer PHQ-9 survey to assess for major depression. Logistic regression was used to test the significance of associations between several prescribed variables (namely, college major, housing arrangement, age, gender, and family history of depression) and outcome (major depression as assessed by the PHQ-9).

Of 541 students, 71 (13.1%) scored positive on the PHQ-9 for depression. Family history was significantly associated (OR 4.20, 95% CI, 2.42, 7.29) with major depressive disorder, as was a major in the College of Arts and Humanities (OR 3.84, 95% CI, 1.18, 12.46) compared to the baseline of an undecided/interdisciplinary major.

A major in the College of Arts and Humanities was significantly associated with major depression. This may be significant for future efforts to target mental health interventions on college campuses.